Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-04-13
CITY AND DISTRICT.
and Strange Stones Sem
Home by Lieut.. Taunt.

| IN THE HEART OF AFRICA.
Curiosities and Strange Stones Sent
| Home by Lieut.. Taunt.
GLIMPSE AT THE DIARIES OF THE EXPLORER OF
| THE coSGo-THE NATIVES AND SOME OF THEIR
| SAVAGE cUsToMs-A BODYBUILDING SNAKE STORY
| "A CROCODILE ADVENTURE.
| coy and Handsomely furnished house on
| street northwest Is the home OF Lieut.. Emory II.
IaunG, OF The United States Navy, the African ex-
| plorer. Since 1885, when he was sent to explore
| tne region Of the Upper Congo River, in Africa,
Lieut.. Taunt has been constantly on the tramp
| through the dark continent, searching for infor-
| matlon In regard to the country and its inhabi-
Janus Inc walls of the parlors Of his home in this
| city are covered with interesting reminders of
many thrilling adventures among the blacks, in
Inc form OF long, sharp spears murderOuS looking
KNIVES and various other implements of warfare
and domestic use. Not the least important among
them Is long string Of human teeth, in the CEN
brass This Is
"FEr1cH,"
ana is supposed by the intensely ma
ives 10 be an tnfallible charm against disease,
pam, or trouble of any kind. Another curiosity Is
queerly shaped knife encased in cur1ous-lOoking
SKIN ana having hilt, the end of which is shaped
IKE mushroom. In one corner OF the room there
st a a long and wide shield OF rattan wood It
mas history. In different places about its center
are several bullet holes The native who bore IL
| was preparing to kill Lieut.. Taunt, who had en-
| OF one OF the neutenant's followers pierced the
shleld and went on through thebody Of the savage
TALES FROM DIARY.
But by far the most interesting Of all are the
diaries OF Lieut.. Taunt's first year in the land of
| the blacks. STAR reporter was permitted to read
tnem the other night They read like romances,
anu are Ilied with stories of adventure and hair
breadth escapes from the cannibals
The domestic habits OF the Congo negroes, as re-
iateo by MT Taunt, are often interesting and more
olten amusing. There is certain tribe who shave
ther heads only leaving small tufts Of hair These
tultS are arranged in all sorts OF fantastic shapes
ana give 70 the wearer very unique appearance.
tribe in the Sc Inc e1e1 OF great and
Dearu grow In the same manner and appearance
as Ch1namaRs pig-tail.
BURYING A CHEF.
The manner OF burial among the natives is very
peculiar. Upon the death Of chief the body is
swathed in clothes until it resembles hogs
head. Then the head of the body Is shaved clean.
The body is left above ground in this state until
tne halr grows out, when the remains inferred
| in the ground.
| A SNAKE IN THE BOAT.
While travelling up the Congo River in the we'll
known little steamer, The Henry Reed, when
ABOUT nve days from the equator, exciting Incl
dent occurred, OF which Mr.. Taunt says: "At3p.
| m we anchored In the narrow channel for the
some ten boys had started in the small boat and,
| as she reached the shore, large snake, about
eight feet long, sprang into the boat. There was
shouting and yelling Of miOca (snake) and In five
seconds the snake had entire possession OF the
boat. How to kill him was now the problem We
| could not shoot without injury to the boat. But
| finally, after an exciting fight OF about ten min
utes, the snake was dispatched by one Of the
| slaves" It was spotted, black and white. The
natives said that one bite from 1t was sure death.
Fortunately no one remained in the boat long
enough after It entered to get bitten, and Lieut..
TaunJ had not gone in the boat. he having been
detained on the steamer.
CROCODILE STORY.
Another incident related in the diary is az fol-
| lows: The boat had anchored at a small town by
| the river. Down on the bank ofthe river woman
| and boy were fishing. Out In the shallow parts
of the river hideous-lookdng crocodes could east
De seen disPorng themselves or sleeping on the
were fishing was large crocodile who was quiet
| ~, every moment, approaching nearer and nearer
now and then he would turn his head slowly from
sice to side to see that he was not observed. Sud-
denly the p people in the village heard terrible
Of the monster: Then he se a1 the BODY od't
to the opposite bank he laid It down and sld% re-.
| turned Meanwhile the boy, when he had recov-
cred from his fright, scrambled out upon the
bank. Not waiting TO yell or shrek, as would
have been expected Of an American child, he
| FASTENED of up the bank to where small canoe
thy for the place where the body Of his mother
had been carried. Reaching it. he put the body
into the boat and started for the village. He
had not gone far when he heard a shout from
the village, and, looking behind him, saw that
| he was being
| PURSUED BY THE CROCODILE,
who, after leaving the woman, had gone of up
the river and returned just in time to see his prey
carried off by the canoe. The boy padded with
all his might and the crocodile followed as fast as
he could, nor did he stop the pursuit until fright
ened Off by the canoes from the village carrying
men to the rescue Of the boy The natives say that
| Juese creatures VIII always stow away prey. and
go for It's mate to help eat the Ieast OF flesh.
BUTTONS ON THEIR LIPS.
When about eighteen days journey above Ban
gala, On the Congo, Lieut.. Taunt was Mortified at
the sight OF the natives. He says that they had
anchored to cut some wood for the engine In
snort time the boat was surrounded by a crowd of
hard-lOOk1Dg natives. The horrible feature OF
their appearance Was that each had an ivory but
ton on his upper lip. This extended some two
inches over the lower lip, and the button which
was about the size OF quarter OF a dollar, was
buttoned right through.
NATIVE DRUM.
While hunting In the woods he found an old
tom-tom, Or drum. It was made OF q log about
five feet long. A long ob1ong hole was pierced In
the top of the log which had been dug out as much
as possible. When struck on either side OF the
could be heard for several miles. The longer the
distancethe more unearthly the SOUND.
FRIGHTFUL NODE OF EXECUTION.
The Congo method OF execution is most revolt
ing. Among certain tribes the person to be exc
cuted is taken out into the market place where he
is buried to his neck in the EARTH His brains are
then dashed out, and cord fastened around his
neck to which is attached stick. This is driven
perpendicularly into the body and both left there
TO decay.
Sales OF Real Estate.
j. s. Miller has bought of T. j. Myers, for
,750, part lot Il, square $50 fronting 19.2 feet
on Sd street, between d and E streets northwest.
7 Rar LETT hos hrr,r n